Artful of arrangement, articulate in its observations and elegant in its understated delivery, ‘Rich And Poor’ sees Johnny deliver a crisp and wistful cut that questions whether the rise of the machines may be putting more between humans than just a screen. Watch the video below.

“’Rich And Poor’ is about how we try to retain human relationships within this modern culture we live in,” says Johnny of the track.

“As technology slowly replaces human contact, how does that affect our relationships? That’s been on my mind a lot as I’ve got older. I didn’t have a phone till I was 19, now I can’t live without one…”

Simple melody and avoid of any studio clutter with the assured hand of expert producer Nathan Coen, ‘Rich And Poor’ is a cathartic listening experience that pays testament to the endlessly entrancing qualities of vocal and guitar in true harmony. Adding spine-tingling backing vocal flourishes, The Maccabees’ Hugo White brings even more to the song.

Filmed in a singular take at a North London location, the accompanying video is an intimate performance of the track. Framed only by the fading light that pours in from the weak winter’s sun beyond the window, the footage captured by artist and filmmaker Tobias Ross-Southall adds an engrossing visual tailor-made for this soul-stirring new single.

Speaking about the making of the video, Johnny says: “It’s always amazing working with Toby. I enjoy it as much as making the records. We have been planning to do a performance video for a while and this song seemed to be the right fit.”

Sharing much of the same DNA as the previous single and album title-track ‘Next Episode Starts In 15 Seconds’, here ‘Rich and Poor’ offers another tangible touchstone that point to the depth, quality and maturity of songs to be found in Johnny’s essential upcoming long-player.

A bold departure from his indie-rock roots that leaps weightlessly into lush and dreamy pastures new, Johnny’s debut solo album sees him metamorphosing as an artist to find kindred spirits in alternative-folk peers the likes of Elliot Smith, Nick Drake or Sparklehorse. Rich with personal revelations inspired by a whirlwind of changes in Johnny’s life over the past few years, the intimate and mature songs of the album tackle growth, getting sober and becoming a father, in a record that earnestly witnesses this songwriter enter masterfully back into the spotlight.

Recorded in a 10ft square bunker in north London in late 2018 with producer Nathan Coen, ‘Next Episode…‘ was further mastered at the infamous Abbey Road Studios by Frank Arkwright. Each song that appears on the album was recorded in three takes or less, with the results a raw, pure and endearing listen through and through. Special guest appearances also include Frank Turner, Hugo White (The Maccabees) and Adam Prendergast of Harry Styles’ band.

Following the explosive punk of ‘38 Minutes’, the ambient title-track ‘The Story Is…’, and the New Wave fizz of ‘My Distraction’, ‘Rattle & Roar’ arrives as another sonic curveball to any listener trying to guess how this Story will end when the album drops on 1 March 2019 – preorder the album on vinyl and CD here. You can listen to the track via streaming here or with the cover art video below.

Harking back to the band’s earnest beginnings as intrepid folk-roots revivalists, ‘Rattle & Roar’ is a rum-slugging, foot-stomping, good time tune. A souped-up shanty that wouldn’t sound amiss if sung from the lungs of any crew heartily navigating the seven seas, Skinny Lister found inspiration for their latest track in the most fitting of situations. As Daniel Heptinstall of the band explains:

“From ‘John Kanaka’, via ‘Raise A Wreck’ and ‘Beat It From The Chest’, we’ve always been keen to include a shanty element on our albums. Singing sea shanties in our local folk club is a big part of the band’s early history. ‘Rattle & Roar’ though was actually written while on board Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise last year – a great punk rock festival on a boat that sails around the Bahamas. I like to feel this has infused the track with some extra saltiness!”

Their fourth album The Story Is… was recorded, produced and mixed with the producer extraordinaire Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys, The Enemy, The Temper Trap).

A loosely-based concept album, The Story Is… anthologises a series of personal vignettes inspired by a chaotic few years for the band and binds them into 14 tracks of unmistakably Skinny-sounding songs spanning a spectrum of sounds. Gather-in close and lend your ears as you rifle through The Story Is… and pull out scorched stories of aggravated arsonists (‘Artist Arsonist’), rib-tickling tales of regretful re-fuellings (‘Diesel Vehicle’), and even polemic pleas inspired by some of life’s hardest lessons (‘Stop & Breathe’).

With one of the most reputable live shows in the business (hailed as “a deafening and visceral experience” - The Independent, 5/5), Skinny Lister will also be touring The Story Is… with a series of their tenacious live shows across the UK and Europe in 2019.

Don’t miss your chance to become part of their latest adventures as the band embark on a two-leg UK tour, plus dates in Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Holland and Belgium throughout the spring.

‘Drive Through Divorce’ arrives as Trapper Schoepp prepares to embark on a UK and European tour with his Xtra Mile Recordings labelmates Skinny Lister. Kicking off at Brighton’s The Haunt on 28 February, the tour will see Schoepp and Skinny go on to visit venues in France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Czech Republic and Switzerland before returning for a second UK leg in April. Full dates and details below.

Produced in Milwaukee by Pat Sansone (Wilco, Robyn Hitchcock), Primetime Illusion sees Schoepp reaching for his own place in the canon with a truly remarkable collection of character-driven songs and stories, a carefully etched series of sonic snapshots in which people we all know struggle to fulfil their own American dream. The album also features a co-write with Bob Dylan called, “On, Wisconsin.” which was premiered by Rolling Stone alongside a Q&A with Schoepp, plus a mini documentary shot by the state of Wisconsin about the remarkable track.

Opening a confident new chapter in his career, the former Tribes frontman Johnny Lloyd will return in 2019 to release new solo album Next Episode Starts In 15 Seconds on 3 May 2019 via Xtra Mile Recordings. Preorder on clear vinyl, CD and digital download.

The video for the title track, featuring backing vocals from longtime friend and labelmate Frank Turner, is below.

With a pared-back of sound, and pure of lyric, the delicately-spindled and chiming melodies of Next Episode… find Johnny making a considerable leap forward into lush and dreamy pastures new. After a two-year period in which Johnny found himself scoring music for various high-profile projects for the silver screen (including the celebrated Rolling Stones film The Quiet One), ‘Next Episode…’ materialised somewhat out of the blue as the first music he had penned for himself in sometime, but would prove to be the first ripple in a wave of new material that would form his forthcoming solo album.

Very much indicative of his newfound direction and a bold departure from his indie-rock roots, Next Episode… sees Johnny’s sound metamorphosing to find kindred spirits with the likes of Nick Drake or Sparklehorse, channeling that hushed, alternative-folk sound that is so eternally enchanting.

Speaking about writing ‘Next Episode…’, Johnny reveals:

“[‘Next Episode’] was the first song I wrote for the album and it just landed out of nowhere. It marked a real turning point. It’s all about trying to enjoy the moment and not succumb to this modern idea of constant success. Everyone is different and that’s what makes life interesting, you don’t have to be anything or anybody you don’t want to be.”

Turning the page on his days as frontman of chart-conquering Camden four-piece Tribes, Johnny has spent the years since their disbandment starting afresh, rebuilding, taking career risks and forging a new path of his own definition. On the long road to his debut solo album, Johnny initially began forging close bonds with like-minds including Jamie T, Mike Crossey (The 1975, Hozier) and Hugo White (The Maccabees), all of whom would help him to release two solo EPs in close succession: 2016’s Dreamlandand 2017’s Eden, both released by Xtra Mile. With the EPs warmly received and the reaction fervent at the 200+ live shows across the globe in support of the releases, public appetite was clearly ripe for Johnny’s debut album. However, with a surge in demand for Johnny to score a variety of film and TV projects (from the Rolling Stones’ The Quiet One film to 2019 feature film Rare Beasts and more), it would not be for another two years until the songs would come to fruition. And yet, accruing songs all the while through this busy period with a vision for his solo debut, Johnny finally felt the time and music was right for it to finally materialise.

Checking into a 10ft square bunker in north London in late 2018 with producer Nathan Coen, the pair began to flesh out the bones of the record, operating with a hard-and-fast rule for each recorded track to be completed in “no more than three takes”. Though often a challenging process, the results as such were remarkable. With its rawest, purest and most endearing qualities perfectly preserved, the collection of tracks began to glisten like diamonds in the rough. Dusted with finishing touches from Frank Turner, Hugo White (The Maccabees) and Adam Prendergast of Harry Styles’s band, these esteemed guest appearances finessed the album with a touch of magic and drew the album into crystalline focus. Adding a last touch of class, the album was mastered at the world-renowned Abbey Road Studios by Frank Arkwright in late 2018.

Rich with personal renovations and revelations inspired by a whirlwind of changes in Johnny’s life over the past few years, the intimate and mature songs of the album tackle growth, getting sober and becoming a father, in a record that earnestly witnesses this songwriter enter back into the spotlight and truly come of age.

With the debut album set for release on 3 May 2019, and tours in the pipeline for the UK, Europe and further afield, Johnny Lloyd is back with a renewed sense of direction, a sure and steadfast attitude that is echoed throughout this assured new album.

Johnny headlines the Omeara in London on 15 February 2019 as part of War Child’s BRITSWeek events together with Frank Turner (DJ set), Brand New Friend and She Makes War as part of the Xtra Mile 16th Anniversary celebrations.

Johnny is also confirmed for Lost Evenings III in Boston, MA, in May 2019, and 2000trees Festival in July 2019.

2019 sees your favourite London-based independent record label, Xtra Mile Recordings, come of age and celebrate its *16th anniversary of operations, a milestone worthy of celebration. Xtra Mile will be doing just that throughout the year with a host of special events, releases and more that will mark this occasion in the memories of all who are on board.

Our first announcements are a label night in partnership with the charity War Child as part of their BRITs Week run of shows. Taking place on 15 February at London’s Omeara, Frank Turner will be doing one of his much-loved DJ sets alongside live performances from a returning Johnny Lloyd (ex-Tribes) and more. Tickets are alloted through a prize draw which is open now and closes at 23:59 pm on Monday 4 February. To enter the prize draw and win tickets to the show, you can make a £5 donation to War Child at www.britsweekwarchild.co.uk. To maximise the chance of winning, you can enter as many times as you like. There will also be a limited number of tickets for sale from Friday 18 January. Finally, a limited number of tickets for some of the shows will be available to buy exclusively to O2 customers via Priority Tickets from 9am on Wednesday 16 January.

Frank Turner is on his UK arena tour in January and February which culminates at London’s prestigious Alexandra Palace on 3 February 2019. Xtra Mile will be taking over the nearby (and adored) Boogaloo Bar for an afternoon pre-party with live music and DJ sets from Xtra Mile acts. Watch this space or sign up to our weekly newsletter for more.

During February, March and April, we will be organising after-show parties at Seán McGowan’s headline show at the Borderline, London on 2 March, with fellow rising stars Brand New Friend supporting, and two Skinny Lister shows from their 2019 world tour – after their Stollwerk show in Cologne (29 March) and Electric Ballroom in Camden, London (11 April), both dates with labelmate Trapper Schoepp supporting.

And in May, Xtra Mile travels across the pond to pitch up at Lost Evenings III, Frank Turner’s four-day festival taking place at House Of Blues, Boston, Massachusetts. The Xtra Mile Recordings Label and Friends night is on Sunday 19 May, featuring Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Against Me! and many others. The full lineup for the whole festival is still to be announced – we’ll keep you posted!

Further events and releases including all-day festival stage takeovers are to be announced soon. And the centrepiece of this birthday extravaganza is a truly epic competition that could see the winner jet off around the world to see their favourite Xtra Mile act perform. All details will be unveiled shortly so keep an eye on the Xtra Mile socials and our weekly newsletter for the scoop(s).

We’re proud of our close-knit roster of artists whose hard work, great music and kind souls has kept Xtra Mile going for 16 years. Our planned events for the year are a celebration of them, their fans and the whole Xtra Mile family.

*Please note that Xtra Mile would have celebrated 15 years, as is more customary, but in 2018 they were too busy releasing excellent albums from Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Will Varley, Frank Turner, Ducking Punches, Sean McGowan, Brand New Friend, Mull Historical Society, PD Liddle, Oxygen Thief and of course organising Lost Evenings II.

INFORMATION ON XTRA MILE RECORDINGS

Xtra Mile was set up initially in 2003 to release the critically-acclaimed debut albums by Reuben and Million Dead. Building on this early success the label has grown exponentially over the past 16 years, specialising in the cross-section of rock, punk, folk, indie and hardcore from the UK and USA. With worldwide distribution and solid fanbases on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as across Europe, Xtra Mile is now very much a global outfit, with its records (yes, it still makes records) available in most countries with record stores. Xtra Mile boasts a diverse roster with acts that have achieved mainstream success to those on their way, as the label unearths and develops the best in underground music.

Larry And His Flask present their latest single ‘Dearly Departed’ taken from album This Remedy, released last October (2018). The single comes with a stripped-down acoustic version of the album’s title track. You can listen to both songs here.

The song release comes just as the band embark on their US west coast tour, starting Friday, January 18 in Hood River, OR. Full details below and get tickets here.